The rough guide to the music of West Africa

"These fifteen tracks (...) confirm the impression that the standard of musicianship is very high and that West Africa is still well endowed with tremendous singers ... If this compilation wre to be compared to one from, let's say, twenty years ago, then the influence of Latin music would seem to be in decline and sophisticated studio sound from Africans now based in Europe is ubiquitous. The electric guitar dominates with screaming sustain-on-max solos sounding more dated than the timeless older instruments with the balafon seeming to feature largely here. Amongst some complex arrangements, the relaxed simplicity of the falsetto of Amadou Diagne singing to acoustic guitar stands out, as does Samba Touré. We still hear the influence of his great teacher and inspiration, Ali Farka Touré, while he continues to develop an individual style".